Dear Scarsdale Community,

We are seeking your feedback on the proposed budget for the 2026-2027 school year. We hope you will take this opportunity to review the proposed budget, which was presented during the March 16th Budget Study Session #3 and is outlined on our Budget site here.  Despite challenges associated with inflation, rising health plan costs, and the state-mandated tax cap, we believe the proposed budget maintains the exceptional educational programs and services that our students deserve and that our community expects while being cognizant of the difficult fiscal realities that many school districts are facing. The proposed budget reflects an increase of 2.92% over the current year's budget and a tax levy increase of 3.37%. The resulting tax levy increases are 2.99% for the Town of Scarsdale and (-4.17%) for the Town of Mamaroneck.

On March 23rd, the Board will hold a Budget Forum where the administration will review the budget process and proposed budget, the community will be invited to share their feedback, and the Board will discuss any potential budget updates in response to community feedback. The Board is then expected to vote on April 13th on the final budget to present to the community during the May 19th public budget vote.

Budget Accomplishments

The current proposed budget continues the programs and services that we think our students deserve and that our community expects. We will continue to deliver the exceptional level of instruction provided through small class sizes at the elementary level, the house and team structure at the middle school, and vibrant programs of study at the high school. Looking to our Strategic Plan goals of Learning, Living, and Leading, the budget supports the goal of Learning through the continued development of performance-based assessments and Strategic Plan priorities, authentic global opportunities and partnerships for students through the Institute for Global Learning and RoundSquare, and building, revising and integrating our curriculum across grade levels and disciplines.  The budget supports the goal of Living by promoting wellbeing and belonging through enrichment of curriculum and Responsive Classroom training, supporting flexible and needs-based partnerships with educational institutions, trainers, and expert organizations to provide exemplary professional learning for educators, supporting innovation through the Community of Inquiry and Innovation (CFII), and funding arts and aesthetic education though programs and relationships with art institutions, visiting artists, and associated programs. The budget supports the goal of Leading by reducing our year-over-year reliance on health reserves, continuing to fund the replacement of gas-powered buses and the deployment of electric vehicles with a new EV Minibus, the replacement of gymnasium bleachers at SHS that have reached the end of their useful life, the replacement of an end-of-life playground structure at Heathcote as part of a multi-year replacement program for our elementary schools, and the renovation of existing space at SHS to support the 8:1:2 life skills program in anticipation of the program moving to SHS in the fall of 2028.  

What is Driving the Budget Increases

As with many other organizations and school districts, we are facing a number of large cost increases due to inflation, health care, and other non-discretionary expenses. The largest single driver of the year-to-year increase in expenses continues to be health plan expenditures, followed by contractual salaries and wages, and retirement contributions. The District will be reducing teaching and support staff by six positions (budget to budget), in addition to a substantial reduction in teacher aide hours, to offset growth in other areas of the budget. For a more detailed explanation of these budget drivers and further background information about the budget development process, please refer to the letter Dr. Patrick shared with the community last week.

Community Feedback

We are now at a critically important point in the budget development process. We urge you to review the budget materials linked herein and found on our website or watch the most recent budget presentation and discussion from March 16th, (the video can be viewed here) and share your feedback on the proposed budget between now and Monday, March 23, 2026. You may also wish to share your input directly with us at the Budget Forum at 6:30 PM on March 23rd. The full budget book will be released with the March 23rd Board meeting agenda. Some questions you may wish to consider:

• Are there additional items you would have liked the administration and Board to consider, either adding or removing from this year's or future year budgets?

• How do you feel about the level of budget and tax increase being proposed?

We encourage you to stay engaged with the conversation, and look forward to your feedback. The Board of Education and Superintendent can be emailed at boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org.

Public Vote on the Budget

This year’s budget stays within the tax cap, requiring a minimum 50% +1 voter approval. We believe that staying within the tax cap was an important priority for our community this year. However, the fiscal pressures imposed by the tax cap have resulted in changes. As is the case with every budget, failure to reach the requisite approval would result in either a second budget vote with the same or with a modified budget, or a contingency budget. The contingency budget would necessitate reduced expenditures approaching $6 million. 

Ultimately, each School District retains local control in determining the appropriate budget to deliver the educational programming and experience desired by the community. It is our belief that the proposed budget balances the educational expectations of our students and community while respecting our fiscal responsibilities.

Sincerely,

James C. Dugan, Board of Education President

Colleen Brown, Board of Education Vice President

Dr. Drew Patrick, Superintendent